1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rackets and handles therefor and, more particularly, concerns tennis rackets in which the correct orientation of a player's grip on the racket handle is facilitated by the shape of the handle.
2. Background Art
In the play of tennis, a tennis racket is generally gripped in a different fashion for a forehand stroke than for a backhand stroke. If the tennis racket is properly gripped for each of these strokes, the ball is struck by the head of the racket with the ball-contacting surface of the head oriented so that a proper trajectory of the ball results. In such a case the ball-contacting surface, defined by the racket strings, is generally, though not necessarily exactly, perpendicular to the ground at the point of impact with the tennis ball.
In order to obtain the proper racket orientation in the player's hand, the player typically relies upon the feel of the racket handle to position the handle relative to the player's palm, fingers, and thumb. It is generally impractical for the player to actually view the orientation of the racket in the player's hand in the course of play due to the speed with which the correct grip, forehand or backhand, must be selected, while the player also establishes proper position for striking the ball.
In the construction of a typical tennis racket, the handle is symmetrical, when viewed in endwise cross-section, about the plane of the striking surface of the racket head. Often the handle is also symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the plane of the racket head. In such racket handles, the principal, or longest, surfaces of the handle are generally either parallel or perpendicular to the plane of the strings of the head of the racket. Consequently, in order to effect the proper grip, whether forehand or backhand, on the racket handle, the player must, by sense of feel, locate the appropriate major surface to be engaged by the hand and, by rotation of the racket handle in the hand, arrive at the desired orientation of these surfaces in hand.
The principal "feel" of the racket handle is obtained by the contact of the palm, fingers, and thumb of the player's hand with the major surfaces of the racket handle. In gripping a typical tennis racket handle, the exact location of, for example, a major surface of the racket handle within the palm of the hand may be readily obtainable for an expert tennis player. However, obtaining this proper handle orientation is much more difficult for a less experienced player. Since even a relatively small degree of misorientation of the racket in the player's hand can result in an improper trajectory for the ball, inaccuracies in a player's grip can have a greatly adverse effect upon the player's game.
Traditionally, tennis players have used the "Eastern grip" for grasping the tennis racket. The Eastern grip is obtained by "shaking hands" with the racket. In other words, the player's palm is placed flush against the handle's widest surface. Most players using an Eastern grip will have the racket head several degrees from vertical when striking a tennis ball. This is because players are taught to strike a ball as if they are striking with their hand vertical and when an Eastern grip is used most players will align the racket head several degrees from vertical. However, when the racket head is vertical or very close to vertical at the point of impact the most consistently accurate tennis shots can be made.
When using the Eastern grip most players find it necessary to rotate the racket handle in the hand to execute a backhand stroke. As a player changes from a forehand stroke to a backhand stroke, therefore, the racket must be continuously realigned, increasing the possibility of misalignment when striking a ball.
Many players who are gripping a typical tennis racket using an Eastern grip will compensate for the upwards orientation of the racket head by providing a rapid rotation (pronation) of the forearm as they swing through a ball to keep from hitting the ball off the court. This rapid pronation places unnecessary stress on the forearm prior to and after impact and has been known to lead to several types of elbow injury.
Recently, some top players have been rotating the traditional tennis racket grip a quarter turn to allow them to more consistently strike the ball with the racket head in a vertical alignment. This grip is called the "semi-Western" grip. In this way, it becomes easier for some players to accurately deliver a shot and to hit "over" the ball to produce a top spin, thus improving the quality of the player's game.
Using a traditional racket handle rotated in the player's hand to effect the semi-Western grip is difficult because, as discussed above, it is hard for players to feel when the racket head is properly aligned. In addition, when a ball is off center there is a tendency for the racket to twist from a proper alignment in the player's hand because no surface of the racket is flush with the player's palm.
In the past, various types of racket handles have been proposed which include such features as special contours, or finger and thumb-receiving grooves, for assisting in orienting a player's hand on the racket handle. Such proposed handles have been formed more or less in the shape of "pistol grips" and the like. Such grips, while they permit better orientation of the hand on a racket handle, have been found objectionable because they lack the "feel" of a conventional tennis racket handle to which players have become accustomed. In addition, such "pistol grip" types of formed racket handles often fail to provide proper hand orientation for both forehand and backhand grips. In most cases, such rackets must be custom made for each individual player, which greatly adds to the cost of the racket.